Seeing The Whole Picture: Scryers in Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century England

Abstract

This thesis discusses the characteristics of scryers in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England, by comparing the description of scryers in ritual magic manuscripts to those in historical documents. This thesis provides a typology of the rituals in manuscripts, and shows that the typical ideal scryer was an adult, while children were also used. The ‘real’ or historical scryer, found in (descriptions of) court cases and ego-documents, is different: they were mostly male adult practitioners. Their materials and goals all varied. Sometimes, scryers were called ‘cunning folk,’ and the third chapter shows that scrying is mostly seen as a gift. Three scryers used that gift to establish a network by means of which they were able to further their own personal career, showing that scrying can lead into other high-risk-high-gain ventures. Finally, the conclusion will show the characteristics of scryers and provide some avenues for further research.